A wide range of off-highway, work vehicles have been developed for various purposes. In smaller work vehicles, seats and other operator supports may be sufficient, and these may be mounted on various forms of springs and other suspension components. However, in larger or more complex works vehicles, such as certain tractors and construction equipment, a partially or fully enclosed cab is more desirable, providing one or more operators with a comfortable location from which the vehicle may be operated. Such cabs, sometimes referred to as “operator environments” also provide a central location to which controls and operator interfaces may be fed, and from which most or all of the vehicle functions may be easily controlled.
Conventional cab mounting systems typically include some type of roll-over protection system (ROPS) designed to prevent the cab from being crushed during a roll-over event. For example, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/528,655, entitled “Cab Suspension System for an Off-Road Vehicle” and filed Jun. 20, 2012, discloses a suspension system including an outer ROPS tube mounted to the cab suspension superstructure and an inner ROPS tube extending from a suspension platform of the chassis frame, with the inner ROPS tube being received within the outer ROPS tube. During a roll-over event, the outer ROPS tube is configured to be displaced relative to the inner ROPS tube until the outer ROPS tube engages or otherwise contacts the suspension platform, thereby preventing any further motion of the cab relative to the chassis frame.
While the above-described suspension system provides numerous advantages, further enhancements may still be made to improve the system. For example, it has been found that the outer ROPS tube may sometimes rub against or otherwise contact the pad during normal operation of the work vehicle, such as when the cab experiences extreme displacements (e.g., displacements in the pitch and/or roll directions) during normal operation.
Accordingly, an improved cab suspension system that prevents such rubbing or contact during normal operation of the work vehicle would be welcomed in the technology.